WE’RE BACK!!! So are the kangaroos.

More improvements are underway and planned for the not so distant future. It has been a tumultuous 12 months which required temporary closures. Thank you for your support and understanding.


FUN things! We are in the process of adding to our ‘out station’, for those not familiar this is where the fun happens. Murray makes awesome dampers. Camp ovens get filled and cooked on the coals, wonderful aromas fill the air. Records, yes those vinyl things, get put on the player and music floats across the paddock. Marshmallows get lightly toasted, roasted or disintegrated on the fire. The odd one or two alcoholic beverages may get consumed. Dancing and singing usually follows. Parties have happened, surprise ones even. Where are you Luke and Marie? The river awaits you and your kayaks!



The ‘out station’ consists of ‘the old beech shack’ and the ‘camp kitchen’ and the ‘wool shed’, so far! Another building is under construction, most likely it will be called ‘the watering hole’. And of course the very original ‘spit’ is the centre of the ‘out station’. Anyone staying is welcome to mosey on over and have a gander. We have heaps of firewood all chopped and ready for you to light a fire. Boil up the billy and have a cuppa. The ‘swinging’ BBQ is there for you to throw on a snag or steak. Or perhaps a fish you have caught off the pontoon could be placed in the coals.



Not so fun things. They are for me, I enjoy building. Sometime soon we will be replacing the ramp to your rooms. We won’t be closing down, we will do a section at a time so you still have access. It won’t be happening before Easter. Please note I didn’t say which Easter.


Don’t forget we have our boatramp if you want to bring your boat, avoid the queues at the public boat ramp. We still have availabilities for Easter.
Hope to see you soon.

Josh visiting us from New Zealand was the first to put the WIFI to the test. Josh did dangle a line from the pontoon prior to the WIFI test but no flathead took the bait.

A big thanks to Buddy from Buddys Budget PC repairs for making the WIFI happen. Sorry for my assistance in dropping your laptop from the ladder, thankfully you know how to fix it. We can’t forget Paul our sparky for the hundreds of metres of cable and many hours hard labour, especially as I was the assistant. Thanks Paul.


Gina, when you come back, your girls won’t have to suffer sitting through our record selection in the Old Beech Shack. We can, they can have their WIFI and we will do coffee and ABBA. Or maybe even ACDC. Yes, there is WIFI at the Old Beech Shack, if you must.


I was going to let Albert write about the WIFI but he really can’t see what all the fuss about.

Our boat Serenity is only weeks away from going back into the water after way too many years being out. She is an old girl but once in the water she is great.

Over the years we have fished off the pontoon and we have put the tender in to go for the bream. We can’t wait to be back on the water and who cares if we catch fish!

Instead of just bringing your car next time, bring your boat. You can be in Moreton Bay in no time at all. As much as I love going out on the water if you’re anything like me, you’re going to love your room and hot shower when you get back late. Yes, we have lights we can turn on at the boat ramp if you are late.

Pack your fishing rod and we’ll see you soon. Or your paint brush and get here sooner to help!

We have had a busy couple of weeks since Albert confessed to being a chocaholic. Our guests have come from far and near. From Mackay in the north to Narrabri in the south. Not forgetting Beenleigh in the west. Coolum and Yamba are also within that line up.


If you are wondering why from Beenleigh, we don’t always have guests on holidays. Sometimes they just want to have a change of scenery and enjoy the whole experience including a massage or two and throw a line in the river. So I suppose it is a holiday, even if it is only a day. Bob, his other half and their friends that met here even had a candlelit dinner. I also believe they had lamb shanks. That were cooked to perfection by the time the electricity went off. Unlike our roast, fortunately we have a wood stove so it was a quick reshuffle, more wood and we too were able to eat by candlelight.


We also have many business people who work in the area at irregular intervals. Even ones moving to the area find it is a good way to learn their way around before signing a lengthy lease. I think the point I am making, is have a good look at our website to see what we do have to offer. I forget all we have and what people like. Like the electric blankets! Sorry guys, I really should have told you upon arrival rather than the next day. Here I was, not liking the fact that you can see the chord. Obviously it is only me seeing it. Speaking of seeing and not liking, I have to change the ‘B’ in the ‘BUS’. I am open to someone, anyone, telling me it is OK! That’s a story for another day for those that don’t know what I am talking about. Albert is nagging to fill you in, so no doubt he will throw in his two bobs worth soon.

This charming photo is Peter and Barbara at the beginning of our new bridge. We managed to get it built in time for their use. Even though our weather here in QLD is beautiful, Barbara is dressed in costume for the Australian Rollerskating Championships. They both arrived back with medals.

Well done to both. They have both now flown back to Western Australia, without even one demonstration of rollerskating down our many ramps.

Albert need wonder no more what the bridge is. Little does he know it was because of him we added an improvement to our entrance. It was bought to our attention that having to open gates was annoying. Those gates were to keep the master of escape in, so in no way is he getting credit for the new bridge. I hear you ask ‘why can’t he escape over the bridge’. We also put another gate in, it gives you complete access without being annoyed by Albert or Logan. They can only see you through the gate. So if you want them to visit you a request has to be made. If they have been really good perhaps they will be allowed. We should have put the bridge in years ago, I reckon we would have walked 20kms less.

All we have to do now is figure out a way to keep the ducks out and then the pond will return to clear and perhaps some more fish. Any suggestions how to
keep them out?

I send a huge THANK YOU to Rochelle and Andrew. I am sitting in a sunny spot on our verandah away from the cold wind drinking a steaming hot cup of coffee whilst poor Murray is frozen to the core near Gundagai. I hear you asking why the thank you. They kindly delivered Murray toasted sandwiches, lasagne, cookies, hot coffee, jackets, sleeping bags and the all-important beanie.

We had the pleasure of having Rochelle and Andrew, Bob and Vicki stay with us many years ago. They said to call in for a cuppa if we are ever down Gundagai way. I didn’t think we should call in at midnight so I waited until the next morning. The truth of that is, I didn’t hear Murray’s phone call at midnight whilst I was warmly sleeping. I thought he was on his way, but he wasn’t as I found out at 7am.

I suppose you are wondering why Murray is in Gundagai? Not so way back we also had the pleasure of meeting Mick and Leanne when they came to stay. Mick offered Murray a job helping him out driving. Tragically Mick died, robbing the world of a one of the nicest people I have met. Micks son Matt has taken up the reins and keeping the business going, honouring his father’s work. Murray went to Albury to pick up the truck that Mick had got for him to drive.

Murray picked the truck up off Micks mate Barney, they had a bit of a yarn and no doubt kicked some tyres and Murray headed off. He only made it up the road a way before a computer problem stopped him. Now in the good old days, wouldn’t a spanner have just fixed it? Barney drove many hours to get to Murray and they thought they had fixed it but as I found out at 7am when I woke up, they hadn’t.

We meet some wonderful people who stay with us in our B&B and our lives are richer for it. The thank you is to all our guests for being part of our life. The bigger thank you for today is to Rochelle and Andrew for the hot cuppa, even if it did blow off the fuel tank. And to Barney and Matt for going above and beyond for helping Murray. Matt and Barney can’t stop apologising, which is not necessary. Leanne and I reckon Mick is looking down laughing at all the shemozzle; after all, didn’t Murray look at a map where he was going! Of course it’s cold there. The sooner that prime mover is North to our sunshine the better!

Anyone travelling to Gundagai please let me know so we can kindly return the mountain of warm stuff loaned to Murray!

I have been incredibly slack allowing Albert to keep you up to date. Logan is still nagging me to have her say but I feel I would be better to fill you in on all that’s happened at our B & B.

As Albert said we have been working on ‘The Old Beech Shack’. It is one of the buildings surrounding our new camp oven area that we have also been working on. Helen our guest from Sydney and Richard from the north very kindly offered to be our guinea pigs when we did a trial cook up. Even with inviting our marketing dude and his family we still had enough leftovers to feed all of Queensland.


Not even the mud and frequent showers deterred us from having fun. Murray cranked up country music and the floor was cleared but we all decided it was too much effort and we were full as googs so dancing was out. We can’t wait for Lynnda and her band to really get the party started. Next time!

Then….. The rains came. Not too much but just enough. One dam is half full and the other has a puddle. It looked like more than a puddle, but when we led the ducks there they were walking not swimming.

We still have lots to do, I think we always will. We are hoping to have ‘the out station’ ready by Easter for all our guests, and us, to kick back, relax, light a fire and throw a snag on the Barbie!

.